Check valve for propulsive engine combustion chamber

Abstract

A combustion chamber includes an inner wall, an outer wall surrounding the inner wall, and a flow passage between the inner wall and outer wall that permits forward flow and restricts reverse flow. The inner wall has a plurality of effusion holes in fluid communication with the inside of the combustion chamber. The outer wall has a plurality of cooling side holes in fluid communication with a cooling source. The inner wall and the outer wall define a flow passage therebetween that fluidly connects one or more of the cooling side holes with one or more of the effusion holes. The flow passage has a geometric configuration to permit forward flow of gases through the flow passage from the cooling source to the inside of the combustion chamber and to restrict reverse flow of gases through the flow passage from the inside of the combustion chamber to the cooling source. The permitted flow rate is greater than the restricted flow rate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A combustion chamber comprising
 an inner wall; and 
 an outer wall surrounding the inner wall; 
 the inner wall having a plurality of effusion holes in fluid communication with an inside of the combustion chamber, the outer wall having a plurality of cooling side holes in fluid communication with a cooling source; 
 the inner wall and the outer wall defining a flow passage therebetween that fluidly connects one or more of the cooling side holes with one or more of the effusion holes, 
 the flow passage having a geometric configuration to permit forward flow of gases through the flow passage from the cooling source to the inside of the combustion chamber and to restrict reverse flow of gases through the flow passage from the inside of the combustion chamber to the cooling source, and 
 the permitted flow rate being greater than the restricted flow rate, 
 wherein the geometric configuration includes a backflow inhibiting portion formed by a forwardly directed pointed conical portion flanked by a pair of deflector portions and each deflector portion is defined by a forwardly opening curved wall. 
 
     
     
       2. The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the geometric configuration deflects the reverse flow of gases back toward the reverse flow of gases. 
     
     
       3. The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the geometric configuration further comprises a flow separator portion having a convex shape about which at least a portion the forward flow of gases bends as the forward flow of gases flow from the cooling side holes to the effusion holes. 
     
     
       4. The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the inner wall is configured to contain a combustion process having a detonation cycle. 
     
     
       5. The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , further comprising a plenum wall, wherein the outer wall and plenum wall define therebetween a plenum in fluid communication with the cold side hole. 
     
     
       6. The combustion chamber of  claim 1 , further comprising axially adjacent S-shape walls disposed between the inner and outer walls and extending about a longitudinal axis of the combustion chamber, wherein the flow passage is disposed between the S-shape walls. 
     
     
       7. The combustion chamber of  claim 6 , wherein the combustion chamber has substantially a tube shape and the S-shape walls extend about the longitudinal axis over at least a portion of the circumference of the combustion chamber. 
     
     
       8. A combustion chamber comprising
 an inner wall and an outer wall surrounding the inner wall, the inner wall including a plurality of combustion side holes projecting therethrough, the outer wall including a plurality of cooling side holes projecting therethrough; 
 an internal flow channel disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall and fluidly connecting one or more of the cooling side holes with one or more of the combustion side holes; and 
 an aerodynamic check valve disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall and configured to allow flow of gases through the internal flow channel in a forward direction from the one or more cooling side holes to the one or more combustion side holes, and to substantially inhibit flow of gases through the internal flow channel in a reverse direction from the one or more combustion side holes to the one or more cooling side holes, 
 wherein the check valve includes a backflow inhibitor formed by a forwardly directed pointed conical portion located between a pair of deflector portions defined by curved walls and the curved walls terminate into respective pointed edges that are directed toward the pointed conical portion. 
 
     
     
       9. The combustion chamber of  claim 8 , wherein the combustion chamber has substantially a tube shape and comprises a circumferential span of multiple alternating upstream facing walls and downstream facing walls. 
     
     
       10. The combustion chamber of  claim 9 , wherein a cooling side hole is located within an inner perimeter of the upstream facing wall, and a combustion side hole is located within an inner perimeter of the downstream facing wall. 
     
     
       11. The combustion chamber of  claim 9 , wherein the internal flow channel has intermediate passages that are disposed between a downstream end of the upstream facing wall and upstream ends of circumferentially adjacent downstream facing walls. 
     
     
       12. The combustion chamber of  claim 9 , wherein the downstream facing wall forms a forward flow separator having a curved shape that separates the gases flowing through the internal flow channel in the forward direction. 
     
     
       13. The combustion chamber of  claim 12 , wherein the forward flow separator has a semicircular shape. 
     
     
       14. The combustion chamber of  claim 12 , wherein the internal flow channel has intermediate passages that are disposed between the downstream end of the upstream facing wall and the upstream ends of circumferentially adjacent downstream facing walls, and the forward flow separator separates the flow of gases in the forward direction into two flows to the respective intermediate passages. 
     
     
       15. The combustion chamber of  claim 9 , wherein the upstream facing wall forms the backflow inhibitor. 
     
     
       16. The combustion chamber of  claim 15 , wherein the backflow inhibitor is configured to deflect the flow of gases in the reverse direction back toward the flow of gases. 
     
     
       17. The combustion chamber of  claim 15 , wherein the backflow inhibitor is configured to deflect the flow of gases in the reverse direction through an angle of about 195 degrees. 
     
     
       18. A combustion chamber comprising
 an inner wall and an outer wall surrounding the inner wall, the inner wall including a plurality of combustion side holes projecting therethrough, the outer wall including a plurality of cooling side holes projecting therethrough; 
 an internal flow channel disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall and fluidly connecting one or more of the cooling side holes with one or more of the combustion side holes; and 
 an aerodynamic check valve disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall and configured to allow flow of gases through the internal flow channel in a forward direction from the one or more cooling side holes to the one or more combustion side holes, and to substantially inhibit flow of gases through the internal flow channel in a reverse direction from the one or more combustion side holes to the one or more cooling side holes, 
 wherein the combustion chamber has substantially a tube shape and comprises a circumferential span of multiple alternating upstream facing walls and downstream facing walls, 
 wherein the upstream facing wall forms a backflow inhibitor, 
 wherein the backflow inhibitor includes a forwardly directed central conically pointed portion flanked by a pair of deflector portions defined by concave shaped walls.